I had not intended to include dates of births or deaths as part of this undertaking, but January 4th is truly a boring day in the history of the world, so I will deviate from my original plan. I hope not to do this often, but in this case, the person for whom I am making the exception is certainly worthy of it.

January 4. On January 4, 1643, Sir Isaac Newton was born in a small hamlet in Lincolnshire County, England. One of the most influential men in human history, he was born prematurely, and three months after his father died.

Even a brief summary of his accomplishments could go on and on. Suffice to say that his most famous work, Principia, is almost without doubt the most influential written work in the history of science. Lesser known is that it may well have never seen the light of day without the encouragement and financial assistance of Edmond Halley (more famously known for having a comet named after him). Very irascible and eccentric in his later years, Newton was found after his death to have a high level of mercury in his body (perhaps as a result of his various experiments), which may have accounted for his unpleasant demeanor.

Also lesser known is that he wrote extensively regarding religious matters, and had a considerable impact (although unorthodox) in that sphere as well.

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"I love signature blocks on the Internet. I get to put whatever the hell I want in quotes, pick a pretend author, and bang, it's like he really said it." George Washington

While it is tempting to post the sale of Babe Ruth by the Red Sox to the Yankees (1920) for $125,000, that doesn’t seem to have tremendous historical significance.

January 5, 1531. On this day, Pope Clement VII expressly forbade King Henry VIII of from divorcing his wife, Catherine of Aragon. King Henry VIII is justifiably famous for many reasons, including the unification of England and Wales and being one of the principal founders of the Royal Navy, which would go on to dominate the world’s oceans for the next several centuries. Principally, however, he is known for his many marriages and his break from the Catholic Church that dominated

Ironically, Henry was initially a staunch defender of the Catholic Church. His situation was complicated, however, by his wife’s inability to give him a male heir. Five of Catherine’s six children were stillborn or died in infancy, while the sixth was female. Desperate for a male child, Henry resolved to have his divorce annulled and marry Anne Boyeln, one of his queen’s ladies-in-waiting.

Normally such a petition would easily be granted, especially for a reigning monarch with a record of supporting Rome. The Pope’s situation was complicated, however, by his effective imprisonment by King Charles V of Spain, who had more or less conquered . The significance of this is that Catherine of Aragon, Henry’s wife, was Charles Vth’s aunt.

While the story took several years to play out, Rome never relented, which resulted in Henry’s break with , the founding of the Protestant Church of England, and seizure of monasteries (also necessary to fund Henry’s profligate spending). The cultural and economic impact on England (and therefore, as well) can hardly be overstated.

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"I love signature blocks on the Internet. I get to put whatever the hell I want in quotes, pick a pretend author, and bang, it's like he really said it." George Washington

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January 5, 2009: Amnorix discovers the smilie.

__________________I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?